SATV, Kathmandu, Oct. 26 - The historic Kartik Naach, performed at Kartik Dabali in Patan Durbar Square, Lalitpur, will begin on November 13 this year.
Kiran Chitrakar, chairperson of the Naach Preservation Committee, said preparations were underway to stage the traditional dance. According to him, the performance will be held regularly from 7 pm for 12 consecutive days.
“The dance is believed to be associated with 17 stories of Lord Vishnu. Each day, performances based on different stories are presented through traditional enactments. The dance has been staged every year during the month of Kartik since King Siddhi Narsingh Malla of the Malla period introduced it. It is believed that the king initiated the tradition for the welfare of the country and its people,” he said.
Historical records state that Kartik Naach began in Nepal Sambat 761, corresponding to 1697 AD. According to Chitrakar, King Siddhi Narsingh is believed to have introduced the dance to free the people of Lalitpur from fear and distress. Historical accounts identify Pandit Haribans Upadhyay as the king’s teacher and Bishwanath Upadhyay as his initiation guru, both associated with the creation and development of the dance.
“The dance was initially performed for five days. It is said that King Siddhi Narsingh’s son, Srinivasa Malla, added Bathah Pyakhan, or folk theatre, Sudama Pyakhan and Surdas Pyakhan, extending the performance to 15 days. At present, it has been limited to 10 to 12 days because of a shortage of artistes familiar with its distinctive features and insufficient funds to organise the performances,” Chitrakar said.
Sanjay Sharma Rajopadhyay, coordinator of the Kartik Naach Publicity Committee, said the tradition has continued uninterrupted as part of Nepal’s intangible cultural heritage and traditional culture.
“Kartik Naach is also associated with religious and tantric significance. It is regarded as an inclusive performance within the Newar community and has served as a means of maintaining harmony among different caste groups,” he said.
During the Malla period, Kartik Naach dialogue was delivered in Maithili. As the language was not widely understood within the Newar community, the dialogues have since been translated into Nepal Bhasa.
Rajopadhyay said Kartik Naach was historically recognised as one of the world’s longest-running theatrical festivals. “Historical accounts mention that Kartik Naach was performed for 27 days, making it one of the longest theatrical festivals in the world. However, the duration has now been reduced to 10 to 12 days. After the formation of the Kartik Naach Management Committee, the dance was performed for eight days annually from 1981 to 2003, Rajopadhyay said.
“In 2013, two additional performances—Vastraharan and a Buddhist enactment—were added, extending the programme to 10 days. From 2014 to 2019, it was performed for 12 days. In 2020, however, the performance was limited to two days because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, it will again be staged for 12 days. The full 27-day programme has not been held since 1949. Restoring the entire programme would require a year of preparation, as rehearsals take considerable time,” he said.
The Naach Preservation Committee aims to establish an endowment fund of Rs 100 million to ensure the tradition’s continuity, help artistes pursue their craft professionally and provide language training to younger generations.
